Thomas arnold



Patented Aug. 15, 186:5.

Zi/unin UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS ARNOLD, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE 0F GAS FUR HEATING AND ILLUM'INATINGBUILDINGS AND FOR" OTHERTURPOSES;

Specification forming part of Letters Patent; No. 49,358, dated August15, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ARNOLD, ofthe city and `State ofNew York,have invented and made a certain new and useful Improvement in theProduction of Gases for ProducingLight and Heat; and l do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saidinvention, reference being had tothe annexed drawings, making part OEthis specification, wherein I Figure l is a longitudinal section of myapparatus for producing gas. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, and Fig.3 is a sectional plan at the line m .r of Fig. l. I

Similar marks of reference denote the sam parts.

My invention has for its Object the production ot' a gas that can beadvantageously employed for steam or other boilers as generators or forgeneral heating purposes, and at the same time the gas that is not usedfor the pro-` duction ot' heat may be employed for illumination.

I make use of an apparatus in which three operations are performed, allconspiring to the end in view: First, steam is superheated as itpasscsinto an d through the apparatus ysecoud, the steam is deprived ofits oxygen by being passed through incandescent carbonaeeous material;and, third, the hydrogen is caused to combine with the vapors ofhydrocarbon liquidsuch as petroleum-introduced into the apparatus. Thegases resulting from these operations are highly iuiam mable, andproduce an intense heat that is employed in keeping the apparatus itselfsuiciently hot, and also in heating a steam-boiler in which ,saidapparatus may be placed; or the said apparatus may be used for cooking,heating buildings, or under any'other circumstances where heat isrequired; or the gases notrequired for heating may be conveyed away andused for illumination. l

In the drawingsa is a retort, into which in# candescent coals areintroduced by a scoop or other device, after which the door b is to betightly closed.

c is a chamber above the retort a, into which petroleum or any otherhydrocarbon 'is to be introduced through a pipe, d, and allowed .to runin a regulated quantity upon the heated upper side of the-retort; rJhegaseous products evolved pass by the pipe e tothe range of burners fbeneath the apparatus, and maintain asulcient heat iu the same. I preferthat these buruers'be circular, or of the character known as Argandburners. y

'.lhe bottom ot' the retort a is made hollow to form a superheatingsteam-space, g, to which steam is supplied by the pipe h in a regulatedquantity. In this steam-space are partitions extending alternately fromopposite sides, so that the steam has to travel through a zigzag ortortuous passage and becomes highly superheated. It then passesthroughperforatious or openin gs at t', through the retort, mingling with theincandescent fuel, which deprives it of the oxygen, and thence thehydrogen ,passes from the opening o into the space, where it com-Iningles with thehydrocarbou vapors and forms a vgas possessing greatheating properties', and goes oli', as before stated, to be consumed andproduce a great body ot' tlam'e for heatn g pur poses. i

I remark that where but little steam is introduced the illuminatingpower -will be int creased; but a large amount of steam can he used toadvantage where heat only is required.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is I l. Agas-generating apparatus in which superheated steam is passed throughincandescent carbon and thence through a chamber immediately over thecarbon, into which petroleum or other hydrocarbonis admitted, and

the gaseous products `conveyed away and `burned below Asuch apparatus,.as specified.

